Don and Dolores Kahlig of Fort Recovery will receive the Smoke Detector on Guard Award from the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of State Fire Marshal and the Southwest Mercer Fire Department on Sunday, April 20th. The ceremony will be held at 3:45 p.m. at the Southwest Mercer Fire Department, 114 South Main Street, Fort Recovery.

“The Smoke D.O.G. Award recognizes alert citizens such as Don and Dolores Kahlig who save lives, in this case their own, by responding to the warning sound of a smoke detector,” said Donna Owens, Director of the Department of Commerce. “Like a guard dog, a smoke detector 'stands watch' over the home both day and night.”

The Kahligs will receive the award for their alert actions after fire broke out at their home at 2440 Sharpsburg Road, Fort Recovery, March 14, 1997. The couple was asleep in their upstairs bedroom when their smoke detectors went off and alerted them to the fire. They safely exited their burning home after an electrical malfunction started a fire in the couples' living room. Because of their quick response, the Kahligs escaped serious physical injury and the main structure of their home did not suffer any substantial fire damage.

"After this, we realize how valuable it is to have smoke detectors in the home," said Southwest Mercer Fire Chief Jerry Pearson. "Without smoke detectors, this fire could have been a double fatality."

The Kahligs' will receive the Smoke D.O.G. award certificate and each will receive a “Smoke D.O.G” t-shirt from Jerry Baucher, a fire safety educator for the Division of State Fire Marshal's Fire Prevention Bureau. Chief Pearson, Assistant Chiefs Kim Day and Dave Roessner, and members of the Southwest Mercer Fire Department will also be on hand.

“Of the approximately 200 Ohioans who die each year from fire, half of these lives could have been saved if at least one smoke detector had been installed and maintained in the home,” said State Fire Marshal James J. McNamee. “For the greatest level of safety, a smoke detector should be placed on every level of the home and tested monthly.”

The "Smoke D.O.G." program stands for "SMOKE Detector On Guard." Like a guard dog, a smoke detector stands watch over the home both day and night. Most fatal fires occur during the night when people are sleeping and most vulnerable. The Smoke D.O.G. Award recognizes individuals whose lives were saved by reacting appropriately to the warning sound of a smoke detector.

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The Division of State Fire Marshal is part of the Ohio Department of Commerce. The Fire Marshal’s Office trains firefighters, enforces the Ohio Fire Code, investigates the cause and origins of fires and explosions, provides fire prevention programs, and performs other services.